Who am I? The 16 Basic Desires that Motivate Our Actions and Define Our Personalities (Paperback)

~ Steven Reiss (Author) "Although most people are not used to thinking about human behavior in terms of fundamental desires knowledge of our 16 basic desires can help you..." (more)
Key Phrases: rate your desire, everyday tyranny, desire profile, Reiss Profile, New York, Big Daddy (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Sex? Social standing? Social justice? With this breakthrough study of the motivational forces behind human behavior, and grounded in the most up-to-date psychological research available, Dr. Steven Reiss explains the 16 desires and values that shape our behavior-and shows how the ways we prioritize them determines our personality.

"Well-explained in lay readers' terms." (Library Journal )

"An exciting new way to think about ourselves, an authoritative, research-based understanding of why we do the things we do." (Ellen Langer, Ph.D., author of Mindfulness)

"Offers valuable insight into such matters as why some interpersonal relationships are enduringly satisfying and others are not." (Professor Richard J. McNally, Harvard University)

"Reiss' system can improve our working relationships and enhance our professional lives." (Ruth Luckasson, J.D., Regents' Professor and Professor of Special Education, University of New Mexico)

About the Author

Steven Reiss, Ph.D., is a professor of psychology and psychiatry at Ohio State University, and the director of the Nisonger Center for Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities. His Anxiety Sensitivity Index, Screen for Maladaptive Behavior, and Profile of Fundamental Goals and Motivational Sensitivities are all world-renowned and universally used. He is a keynote speaker at professional conferences in the U.S. and around the world.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Berkley Trade (March 5, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425183408
• ISBN-13: 978-0425183403
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #249,837 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential reading, but repetitive, May 3, 2004

By	Alan Nicoll (real name) (Lake of the Woods, CA, USA) - See all my reviews

I have read many books about self help, psychology, and human behavior, and I believe I learned more from this one than from any other book. Reiss's theory is that all human beings are motivated by sixteen basic desires, and your personal prescription for happiness depends on the relative strengths of these desires. He argues that these desires are genetically determined. I believe that the science behind the "Reiss Profile" is sound, unlike the many other similar books that claim to tell you about yourself. The theory of personality originated with William James; Reiss has extended this work and in this book makes his important findings available to the general reader.

My only complaint about this book is that it is very wordy, which is so absolutely typical of self-help books. He presents the theory concisely and clearly, then goes on to apply the theory to many different areas of human behavior. This seems excessively detailed and it makes for tiresome reading, so I skimmed much of the second half of the book. At times the book approaches a catalog in unreadability.

By all means get the book and answer the questions to determine your own desire profile. I believe you will learn more about yourself, more quickly, than you have ever done before.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A useful exercise for understanding teammates., August 27, 2003

By	Michael Chiodi "author, The Art of Building P... (St. Paul, MN USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Give Dr. Reiss a chance, and he will tune you in to what really turns you on. We each have a distinctive motivational profile, but this book is really about relationships. Learning about what motivates others, and how they differ from us, goes a long way towards building better relationships -- regardless, of whether we're working as part a team or trying to understand our own family. I recommend this book to everyone I can. I also use it in my professional business coaching practice as a tool to help team members know each other better.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Revolutionary motivational foundation, August 2, 2005

By	Bryan M. Kincaid - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I learned about Maslow's motivational hierarchy decades ago but found it not very useful for determining what an individual would do, particularly in a specific circumstance. This book provided a scientifically-appealing foundation for making that kind of determination. It well explained why I get along better with some people than others and what I can do about improving my relationships with those people with whom I don't seem to fit. After testing myself, spouse, children, and close friends and associates, I believe I better understand both myself and them. I can better predict what they might do and where they are going with their thought processes. I believe this book contains a revolutionary foundation for understanding the motives of people.